The Sunday News
Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
COMMUNITIES who share borders with the country’s national parks and are exposed to human-wildlife conflicts should find economic value from the relationship so that they appreciate and feel obliged to look after the wildlife.
Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) head of corporate communications Mr Tinashe Farawo said they were helping communities find value in natural resources that sit side by side with them so that they could play a part in their protection.
He said this during a tour of Zimparks exhibition stand at the just ended Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) in Bulawayo.
Mr Farawo said their exhibition this year incorporated locals from the Matopo community who live around the Matopos National Park who are into various artefacts production and art. They exhibited free of charge under the ZimParks stand.
“These are the people who bear the brunt of sharing borders with wildlife, these are the people whose crops are destroyed, cattle, goats and other livestock attacked so this is a way of paying back to them to make sure that they can benefit. September is tourism month and we have allowed those communities in Matobo to enter the national park for free so that they appreciate what we have,” said Mr Farawo.
Mr Farawo said bringing in the local creatives to exhibit at the ZITF would give them the much-needed exposure and networking opportunities with the broader national and international markets which will see them contributing actively to economic development.
“As part of economic empowerment, we are moving with the communities in all our programmes creating jobs for them while creating synergies for our artists from Matobo region who are making various artefacts, curios and paintings. This is not only happening in Matobo but all over the country,” he added.
Human-wildlife conflict has been an issue the authority has been grappling with for a number of years now and has been educating the communities about it in order to ensure there is harmony and saving of crops and lives.
“Last week we captured a leopard which was causing problems in the Matobo area and we released it in the Hwange National Park. These are things that we deal with, we receive distress calls and react within the shortest period of time. But for the communities around national parks to appreciate the importance of wildlife, they must get some economic value, they must benefit and as long as they are not benefiting, we will always have problems,” he added.
He further said incorporating locals in their programmes would create value and also create employment for the communities.
The ZimParks exhibition also featured local beverage producers, Comrades Beverages who are manufacturing a brand of Gin called the Matopo Gin, the first ever from the Matabeleland region. They got an opportunity to showcase their new products which were received by visitors to the ZimParks stand who got an opportunity to taste the product.
“The gin is manufactured using local products infused with zumbani/umsuzwane and baobab fruit and many others to make their gin,” said Mr Farawo.
The gin, which comes in 500ml bottles is set to be distributed through local bars, hotels and alcohol distributors in the city and beyond. — @NyembeziMu
